1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention is that of automotive vehicles with sunroof drain conduits. More particularly, the field of the present invention is that of a trim panel for a C pillar of an automotive vehicle with an incorporated sunroof drain conduit.
2. Description of Prior Developments
To allow an automotive vehicle operator and passenger to enjoy the environment, many automobiles now come equipped with sunroof assemblies. The typical sunroof assembly has an opening provided in the roof of the vehicle. A tinted glass or steel plate is provided for closing the opening. A mechanism is provided for moving the sunroof panel between an opened position and a closed position either by a sliding motion or by a tilting motion of the sunroof panel. The mechanism may be driven either manually or by an external power source such as an electric motor. The sunroof panel is provided with a sealing structure which, when the sunroof is closed keeps out rainwater from the passenger compartment. The sunroof assembly is additionally provided with a trough which extends the edge of the roof opening and receives water which is passed through the sealing structure. This trough is connected to drain tubes which are typically connected to the bottom parts of the corners of the trough. The rear drain tubes are routed to the lower wet area of the vehicle down through the C pillar and then into the ambient. The drain tubes are hidden from view by the headliner of the roof and by an inner trim panel of the C pillar.
A significant device which has materially contributed to the safety of vehicles is a supplemental inflation restraint commonly referred to as an airbag. Airbags are typically placed in the dashboard and inflate upon a frontal impact of the vehicle. To further enhance the safety aspects of the vehicles some vehicles are now being developed with side-mounted airbags. In one type of side-mounted airbag, an airbag canister is mounted to the C pillar of the vehicle. An inflatable airbag envelope (sometimes referred to as the bag) is fluidly connected with the canister and extends from the C pillar underneath the headliner all the way to the A pillar of the vehicle. The airbag system is then connected to a sensor which is controlled to inflate upon a side impact of the vehicle. Prior to the installation of a side-mounted airbag, there existed a significant amount of space between the innermost trim panel (which is exposed to the interior of the vehicle) and an outermost trim panel (which is connected with the frame of the vehicle and is sometimes commonly referred to as the outer trim panel or the trim support panel) to install a flexible hose for the sunroof drain. However, with the addition of the side mounted airbag and canister, most of the above-noted space is taken. In an attempt to overcome this problem a rigid drain tube can be installed in the C pillar. However, installation of the rigid drain tube can cause the drain tube to kink and can also cause noise problems from rattling within the C pillar. To avoid a noise problem from rattling, a flexible tube may be installed. However, the flexible tube can easily be pinched or kinked during installation leading to insufficient drainage. Both the rigid tube and the flexible tube can be inadvertently disintegrated by the inflation of the airbag which is undesirable.
It would be desirable to provide a sunroof drain conduit through the C pillar that will not be a source of a rattling noise, and will not kink or collapse. It is also desirable to provide a sunroof drainage conduit which will be easy to install and will be of a low cost. It is also desirable to provide a sunroof drainage conduit which will not be disintegrated by inflation of an airbag.